The Importance of An Attitude of Gratitude
in all things you be thankful for this is the desirous will of God in Christ Jesus unto you – 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Thankful
Thanksgiving comes from an attitude of gratitude in which we express appreciation. Thankfulness is rooted in grace and comes from consideration of the benefits received. We are not to be thankful because we should appreciate what we have, but because we understand the value of it and therefore express our gratitude for it. When we want more in our lives it is because we are not realizing the value of what we have now. We live in a fallen world that brings grief and despair that leads to a state of mind in which we can so desire something else that we may even seek death itself. However, rather than succumbing to the grief that the world brings, we should be looking at why it has come upon us. Yes, the things of this world are enjoyable, bring instant gratification, appease our desires, but in the end, they just bring grief. Godly grief is going to bring us to repentance, where the world’s grief seeks death. Repentance is a change of the mind. It is a result of seeing the truth and choosing to follow it and rejecting the previous beliefs that were built upon lies. Grief comes because we are rejecting what God wants for us and seeking to fulfill our own desires without consideration of who we are and how damaging some of these wishes can be to us. God wants us to be happy. Not a fleeting happiness like the world brings, but true happiness. A happiness that starts deep down inside of us and produces a sense of well-being within us. This is where thanksgiving comes from. This type of happiness can only be […]
The Mysteries of God The Blindness of Israel
And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: “Hearing you will hear and will not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.’ – Matthew 13:14-15
For I do not desire for you to be ignorant, brethren, of this mystery in order that you are not alongside yourselves in a frame of mind, because hardness from a part to Israel has come until which the fullness of the Gentiles has come. – Romans 11:25
The nation of Israel has been blinded due to their unbelief for a short time while the Gentiles are being offered reconciliation. God uses an example of a cultivated olive tree to show that the Gentiles are now able to partake in the benefits that belong to Israel, but due to her unbelief she has been cut off until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in.
Therefore, you say, “Branches were broken off in order that I on my part should be grafted in,” Well, by unbelief they were broken off, and you by faith stand not having a high frame of mind but respect. – Romans 11:19-20
The placement of sons, expressing a proper opinion of God, the covenants, the legislation, the religious service, and the promises belong to Israel. The Church does not replace Israel in these, but rather is allowed to partake in the benefits of being in Christ.
For I vow for myself that I myself were separated from the Christ on behalf of […]